Good To Be Back

To say it was a pleasure to be back at The Valley on Saturday would be an understatement. Most enjoyable pre-match drinks with fellow Addicks followed by an entertaining first half, a win and the three points, and more fun after the game. There were only two downsides. First, the forwards once again didn’t manage to find the back of the net, and there were chances; second, a subdued second-half performance, one not revitalised by the subs, gave the Covered End nothing to cheer about (until the final minute) and enabled Sheff Wed to get a foothold back in the game and the chance of a point when at the break it appeared all was set up for us to go on and win the game handsomely, even allowing for their recent record for comebacks.

The game really was remarkably simple: play it in the Wednesday half and we would score goals, with their back line looking highly vulnerable and all at sea for second balls, in front of what seemed a flaky keeper; play it in our half and they had decent enough players to cause problems, even nick a goal, as they did. The first half was a fairly even affair in terms of possession and where the game was played and we won it 2-0; in the second we barely mustered an attack and ended up with a 2-1 win despite having just 40% possession for a home game.

For that it’s fair to give Wednesday some credit – although none should go to their 29, whose main contribution to the game was trying to wrap his arm(s) around Kaminski at every set piece. We all know and sympathise with their problems and wish them well. Like us when we were suffering with Duchatelet, the priority is getting a change of owner and then start the rebuilding process, in whatever division.

We have to focus on our own issues – which are of course entirely relative, we are all delighted with where we stand in the Championship. As I’m writing this back in Givry, having flown back from London on Sunday, there’s no point in a formal match report, just thoughts on the game.

First, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the best chance of the game before we scored went to them, a guy who should have buried a header from close range – after he’d shoved Coventry aside - instead of putting it straight at Kaminski. So the first half was not some walkover, we might have gone behind before scoring.

Second, we might easily have scored more than two in the first half. The first came curtesy of Campbell, who for the one and only time received the ball in space. He opted to draw defenders and play it inside for Carey, who netted the rebound after his first effort had been saved. The second was down to Burke timing his run better than his marker to get on the end of a very inviting Bree set piece delivery. In addition, Kelman might have notched a couple. He failed to get on the end of a very inviting ball into the box, then managed to get goalside of his marker and seemed to be through on the keeper, only for that defender to get back in time and block his shot. Got to give the crowd some credit here as they sang his name when he was substituted; he will come good in front of goal, just needs to get off the mark. More generally, although Wednesday had the height in defence to usually win the first ball up to forwards or into the box (especially when Iorfa was still on the pitch), they seemed to panic very easily when it came to the second, looking very uncoordinated.

Third, what exactly did go wrong in the second half? Their manager said they made small changes at the break, perhaps the substitutions improved them, perhaps it was just a case of nothing to lose and them raising their game. However, watching the game you couldn’t avoid concluding that we really fell off the pace, perhaps thinking that the game was won, or to be more kind that sooner or later we would score a third without having to do too much. The absence of action in their half kept the Covered End pretty muted and all the initiative was with Wednesday. We were taking it to the corner flag with some time left to play.

Our substitutions – Olaofe and Leaburn for Kelman and Campbell, then Knibbs and Ramsay for Carey and Burke, finally Rankin-Costello for Bree – failed to change the balance of play, although Leaburn may well have won us a free-kick on the edge of the box, the ref waving play on (I hope he’s not getting a reputation among officials for going to ground a little too easily), and Olaofe did ensure the game ended with a flourish as he was taken out by their keeper after nudging the ball past him – even if it did take intervention by the linesman to persuade the ref that a foul had been committed, quite absurdly he was playing on. There was no doubt at the time and the replays just underline the point.

On substitutions, I thought at 2-0 there was a case for getting Apter and/or Hernandez on the pitch. We were causing them no problems and needed a spark. But that, and Jones’ more understandable reluctance to risk opening things up more at 2-1, only underlines how difficult it is at the moment to get either onto the pitch. Apter has to be for Bree and once Olaofe has replaced Campbell that’s the other side taken care of. I think – with the full benefit of hindsight – that there was a case for replacing Campbell with Hernandez (assuming he’s been good in training) and going just for Olaofe to replace Kelman.

But what does it matter? We won. Perhaps the players had one eye on another tough game tomorrow night at Ipswich. If the second-half display left us with more in the tank for that one, so be it. We will find out. 

Possible Options For Saturday

Like London bloody buses. I’ve not managed a trip to The Valley for a while now (last one I saw live was Wembley) and now events/circumstances dictate/allow me to get in two in three weeks, starting with Sheff Wed on Saturday. Can’t wait. I see the club has even decided to mark the event by installing a new screen. As long as we still get to shout ‘Fiiiiish’ at it.

No game at this stage of the season is ‘must win’, and nobody’s imagining that Sheff Wed are going to be anything other than a tough nut to crack, despite their problems (arguably to some extent because of them, given the team spirit they have engendered). But we really could use the three points, to put us back into ‘positive territory’ for the season and to encourage us to be looking up not down. And after two on the road and the international break we really want the warm glow of a win, plus hopefully a good performance, back home.

I don’t think there’s any doubt that Jones the Boss does face some selection issues for Saturday. It would not be surprising were he to name an unchanged starting XI, but he must be thinking about options – which is positive in the sense that he has them.

The loss of Edwards is a big blow, which is no reflection on the capabilities of Bell and Gillesphey. He slotted in from the start and is well versed in working on the left side with Campbell going forward. Bell as we’ve seen can play the wing-back role, but not as yet with the same drive going forward. The choice of Ramsay in the role at Preston may have been dictated by the desire to nullify Small (which very nearly worked) but it has to be in Jones’ mind to keep him there, this time more for attacking potential.

Assuming we stick with a back three/five, that all bar Edwards are fit and available, and given that Jones the Player is barring injury a shoo-in, as is Bree as right-side wing-back, the choices are either Ramsay or Burke to his right and Bell or Gillesphey to his left, both influenced by the choice to fill Edwards’ slot. I don’t know enough about Sheff Wed’s attacking strengths to say if they might influence the choice; but given that we are at home and looking at their defensive record – by a distance the worst in the league so far – the decision will surely be as much about attacking as defensive capabilities.

The other issue – which does potentially affect even the formation – is up front. We’re nine games into the season and have registered one goal to date from a recognised forward, one that hasn’t yet made a start. At the same time our player of the month for August, who has scored, isn’t getting either a start or a kick at the moment. It is blindingly obvious that Campbell, Kelman and Leaburn are all very much in need of a goal, of any description. Kelman’s play outside the box is much improved from the start of the campaign, Campbell always looks a threat as a provider or by cutting inside. But nobody as yet has demonstrated the poaching instincts of Godden or the bulldozing impact of Aneke.

It is for me telling that in recent games we have seen some really inviting balls into the box just evade a forward or find nobody. It’s not that the forwards are guilty of glaring misses, rather that we don’t create many clear-cut chances for them in open play while the half-chances and possible openings have not been converted. Barring Olaofe’s one, the goals have instead come from the attack-minded central midfielder, the No.10 if you like (two for Carey and one for Knibbs), a wing-back (a brace for Bree and one for Apter playing in that position), and a central defender (Gillesphey). It has to be a cause for concern, irrespective of chances created and work outside the box.

So what makes sense in terms of options? I’d say we may have options but no obvious solutions. Kelman has been handed a thankless task, usually up against two fresh central defenders, before the ‘impact players’ come on to face a tiring defence. In that context Campbell offers little direct support, doing his good work out wide – but not yet scoring goals. Leaburn has struggled so far this season, with some exceptional touches but not the kind of impact from the bench that we would hope for. Again, Jones may conclude that the system is working, that Kelman and Campbell tire the opposition and create the conditions for others to benefit from later in the game. But on Saturday we are up against what on paper is the worst defense in the league.

Jones could opt simply to start with Leaburn and look to either Olaofe or Kelman to replace him in the second half, or indeed Olaofe. If he starts, as and when Campbell tires we now have Hernandez as well as Olaofe to replace him, but that leaves out Apter. We could go with a front three, of Campbell, Kelman (or another) and Apter, but then you would have to sacrifice Carey/Knibbs and their goals contribution. The same applies if we went for 4-4-2.

The conclusion? Without wishing to appear to be sitting on the fence, I trust that Jones and his team have taken a good look at Sheff Wed’s defensive frailties and worked out how we might best exploit them. That could mean selection changes. His preference may well be to focus on just us and what we do best, but the status quo has not yet delivered goals from the forwards, so at the least there is a case to be made for changes. What we really want from Saturday, in addition to the points, is goals from the forwards, whoever they are.

Came Up Short This Time

After a tough one away at Derby along came in all likelihood a tougher one today at Preston, sitting just above us in the league and having lost just one game to date. With another international break coming up you wanted to just get something out of the game, to keep the unbeaten run going. But we didn’t manage that, it looked like a game too far at this stage of the season. We didn’t play especially badly, just lacked a little zip – and fundamentally carried virtually no goal threat throughout, being restricted to some decent passing at times outside the box and a couple of good balls into the box just evading the forward. We had no efforts on target and for long spells it looked as though if Preston got one – and they did cause us problems at the back - it would probably be enough.

They got one, albeit a fortuitous one as Small’s shot was deflected just over a diving Kaminski, and for good measure scored a second which at first sight looked for all the world offside, but Steve Brown said replays showed it was OK, so we have to live with that. It meant for us a game to forget, as quickly as possible, although Jones has to be concerned that in nine games none of the starting forwards has scored – and all told the tally is just one, the Olaofe goal to beat Sheff Utd. It’s not that their fluffing chances, just that we’re not creating many for them and they seem unable to be in the right place at the right time (unlike Godden of course).

The team showed one change to the starting XI from Derby, with Burke – who was given a rest for that one – returning and Bell taking a break, named among the subs. That left a central defensive three of Burke, Jones and Gillesphey, with Bree and Ramsay named as the wing-backs given the continued unavailability of Edwards – with the very unwelcome news on that front that he will be out for ‘more than a few weeks’. Which one would take the left side and probably be given the task of stopping Small was unclear before the game, but it proved to be Ramsay, which looked like a decision based around stopping Small. No change in midfield or up front, but on the bench new signing Hernandez was included, with Anderson missing out.

The first half was nip and tuck throughout, but they had the edge as going forward they looked the more likely, even if we managed to prevent any clear openings and what half-chances they engineered lacked a good finish. For us I can only remember Kelman getting free down the right side, his cross in being half-cleared then laid on for Bree but his curled effort going wide, then later Kelman again getting free and sending in a good ball which Campbell was unable to convert, getting crowded out.

At the break all the plaudits went to both defences. No effort on target from either side. And it stayed that way until the hour mark. We did have one moment as Burke delivered an excellent ball into the box, but this one too just evaded Campbell at the far post. It was Campbell’s last meaningful involvement as he was replaced by Leaburn shortly after. Then Preston really should have taken the lead on 60 minutes as a cross from their left for once caught out our back line and their guy was left with a header from close range unchallenged, the ball bouncing up nicely for him. Like at Derby Kaminski read the effort well and pulled off a good save, but if he’d placed the header either side of him there would have been nothing he could have done.

That let-off failed to galvanise us and instead gave Preston renewed impetus. After Leaburn had failed to hold off the defender to get on the end of a Ramsay through ball Small, who had been very well marshalled by Ramsay, got his moment. We failed to deal with a ball in from their left and eventually it was laid to the right side of the box for Small. Whether his shot was going wide or would have been saved by Kaminiski we’ll never know as it deflected off Ramsay and went over Kaminski’s outstretched arm into the net.

Jones responded with a triple substitution, with Bell, Olaofe and Knibbs coming on for Burkey, Kelman and Casey, with Ramsay switching back to the left side of central defence. We continued to struggle to create anything in the final third, Bree firing off one effort but not a repeat of last week’s wonder strike. We almost went two down on 72 minutes as we lost the ball down our left and Preston moved forward quickly, but their guy chipped wastefully over.

On 75 minutes Bree did get clear down the right and played a good ball in, this time it was Leaburn who arrived just too late to convert. And after Berry came on for Coventry, Jones clearly gambling now, on 79 minutes we were two down. A ball down their left side to a guy who we all thought was yards offside, no flag, he played it into the box – and unlike all of our such balls this one found a forward who converted. That was it. Five minutes of stoppage time produced nothing for us. And it was one of those afternoons when you felt we could have played all day and not scored.

The result really does square things up – played nine, won three, drawn three, lost three, scored eight, conceded eight. It will serve as something of a reality check after a good run. Preston were decent but far from world-beaters and this time a tight game went against us. On the day we weren’t good enough. Jones will have time to ponder why.

Ultimately No Complaints, Decent Point

Aside from the issues of team selection facing Jones – assuming Edwards would be ruled out would he stick to the Gillesphey/Bell solution or look for an alternative, would there be any change(s) up front, would new signing Hernandez feature, and/or would there be a need to give some tired legs a break? – the real (partially related) question was just ‘can we do it again’? A repeat of Saturday’s performance would be entirely welcome, against a side which has made a poor start to the season, conceding 13 goals in seven games. But we all know football’s not that simple, or predictable.

At half-time last night we were feeling pretty good about things. A goal to the good, home fans clearly restless, a fair chance that we would either see out the game or get a second and take the points. But Derby, while not having a first-half effort on target, had caused problems for our back line, largely as we were unable to dominate physically, with Agyemang giving as good as he got. And in the second half, with nothing to lose they threw bodies forward and pinned us back, unable to exploit space on the break as it was all hands on deck to keep them out. We didn’t manage that and, although we might have nicked a second late on, had to settle for a point. Not a bad point, can’t say it wasn’t a fair outcome, but when you are ahead going into the final 10 minutes you can’t help feeling a little disappointed (especially if like me you took a sneak preview of where a win would have left us in the league).

For the team there were two changes from Saturday, with the first being confirmation of Edwards’ unavailability and the retention of Gillesphey, with Bell in the wing-back role, while Ramsay came back in to replace Burke, the suspicion being that he might struggle at this point to do three games in seven days. The rest were ‘as you were’, with Berry returning to the squad for the first time this season, taking the vacant spot on the bench – which was welcome but did seem odd to have all three of Carey, Knibbs and Berry in competition for one place.

The opening exchanges were rather too open for comfort. Derby shouts for an early penalty were over-optimistic, but Ramsay was beaten on the inside, the danger snuffed out by Bell, while at the other end Kelman almost profited from a fizzed back pass and poor touch from their keeper. Derby looked wobbly at the back and likely to cough up chances, if we could keep it tight at the other end.

The game settled down into a more familiar scrappy affair of no real chances, a curled effort from Campbell being the closest we came. Then on 36 minutes, somewhat out of the blue, we fashioned a very, very good goal. Kaminski’s long ball out was superbly taken down by Kelman, enabling him to play it wide to Campbell. He advanced down the left and cut back, but instead of crossing or looking for another curler played the ball low in to Carey. He played it first time to Docherty, who saw that Bree had advanced unmarked on the right side (he couldn’t really miss him with his arms in the air) and chipped it back across to him. It was falling at a difficult height, but Bree controlled the shot with excellent technique and sent it flying into the far corner of the net.

That put us very much on the front foot and we played out the rest of the half fairly comfortably, although Derby had spells of pressure and plenty of the ball outside our box. And the half-time stats had a familiar ring to them. Derby had enjoyed 58% possession but managed five shots, none on target, against five and two for us, including the important one. More of the same in the second and the points would be ours.

However, the second half began much like the first, with Kaminski almost caught out by a mishit cross, Kelman having a decent effort saved, then Derby having a couple of threatening breaks, one finding their guy on the left only for him to shoot well over from a good position. More Derby pressure and with perhaps the three games in seven days in mind persuaded Jones the Boss to make changes slightly earlier than usual, opting for a triple substitution. Leaburn, Burke and Knibbs came on for Kelman, Corey and Bree, with Ramsay moving to wing-back.

Despite fresh legs we were struggling to either retain the ball or spring effective counter-attacks. On the hour we did have a shot from Bell inside the box, which struck their defender on the elbow. The Blackburn manager might like to take a look at that one as it was similar to the one on Saturday which struck Jones’ arm. If he considered that a certain penalty he’d presumably back our case for one last night. Nothing was given, rightly so.

On 76 minutes Olaofe came on for Campbell, who was getting no joy in the second half, and just after we all held our breath as it seemed Derby would equalise. A decent break, good passing and their guy was free from Burke and in on goal around the edge of the area. He had time to pick his spot and hit it well enough, but Kaminski gambled on reading his intentions correctly, diving to his right to turn away the effort. Superb save. But it did us little good. The resulting corner was turned away but only to their guy on the other side. His dinked cross went towards a mass of players and it was one of theirs who rose highest and the header went just inside the post.

With a little over 10 minutes plus stoppage time left, the game was there for either side to snatch a winner. And we came closest. A scramble from a corner fell to Knibbs, but he wasn’t well set and snatched at the shot, sending it over the bar, then in the six minutes of added time the ball ran to Docherty inside the box. His effort took a deflection and went wide, the replays suggesting it was Olaofe getting the touch (a goalkick was given, to our surprise at the time). Derby did have a final break and forced a decent save from Kaminiski at his near post, but there was to be no late drama.

It is a decent point, even if ultimately we were unable to fully exploit Derby’s problems at the back and take all three. Was that because we were confident in seeing it out? Perhaps, but give Derby some credit for pushing us back and keeping us pinned down, at least until their equaliser. Were Jones’ substitutions ill-timed? Possibly, but the need for fresh legs was evident.

Fact is we’re quibbling about not beating Derby on their home turf and not sitting third in the league. We turned in another decent performance, just one not as compelling as against Blackburn as unlike them Derby didn’t wilt. We’re not getting the credit we deserve – just read comments from Derby fans about how poor they were – because I guess it’s credit for making the opposition play badly by continually harassing them and working so hard to defend the box. People will see a pattern sooner or later.

We move on to another tough fixture, at Preston, which as things stand will mean that we will have played five out of the top 11 in our first nine games. It was always going to be a hard start to the campaign and we’ve risen to the challenge. Of course Saturday will bring us up against a certain Small, who seems to have hit the ground running with them, like us Preston playing him on the right side. We know what he can do and Edwards (if fit), Bell and Gillesphey will know what to expect – and I guess would like us breathe a sigh of relief if a slight niggle rules him out.

Very Good Feeling Tonight

Looked like another game against fired-up opposition, with Blackburn’s manager at least still smarting over the EFL’s decision to have their game against Ipswich replayed from the start. For us it seemed like the first game of the next spell of the season, the opening having gone well enough (2,2,2) even though we felt the performances deserved more points. A game that you felt could go any which way, but short odds on another close one.

Proved to be far from that. Blackburn had the better of the opening 10 minutes but once we’d got into gear and especially after we went ahead we increasingly took control, progressively winning all the key battles across the pitch. The only surprise in the second half was that it took so long for us to put the game to bed, having spurned several good opportunities and restricting them to almost nothing. We did eventually get the second and the third at the death was just the proverbial icing on the cake.

Jones the Boss had a few selection issues to ponder before the game. Should Ramsay return after his suspension, with Byrne having slotted in very well? Should Apter start as the more attacking option at home and replace Bree, who had also done very well at Sheffield, including laying on the only goal of the game? And who would get the nod to start up front, out of Kelman, Leaburn and perhaps Olaofe? Good to have all the options. And in the event Jones went for an unchanged starting XI, with Ramsay replacing Fullah on the bench.

Again, at the start Blackburn looked the more threatening, with small forwards involving balls into feet and good movement. Bell was beaten down their right and may have made contact from behind with their guy in the box. If he’d gone to ground the ref – who had a stinker from start to finish – would have had a decision to make. We were struggling to make anything happen in their half, with Kelman as usual up against two centre-backs and Campbell not in the game early on. But while not functioning well, crucially we once again ensured we didn’t concede.

The gameplan changed a little on 17 minutes as Edwards went down under a challenge and stayed down, no foul being given. After extensive treatment he continued, but a few minutes later after taking a long throw he went down again holding his ankle and had to go off, replaced by Gillesphey, who moved into the back three and Bell moved to the wing-back spot. And whether or not as a result of that adjustment we started to create more. A Coventry long ball bounced only just beyond Kelman, then an interception was moved onto Campbell, whose low cross from the left couldn’t find a red shirt. Then a cross from the right was taken down by Docherty, whose decent shot was blocked, then Carey’s shot from the rebound was saved.

So it wasn’t entirely out of the blue that we took the lead. Coventry was fouled on our right side and Bree sent the free-kick to the far post, where Gillesphey easily outjumped his marker and headed back across goal and into the net. Whether their keeper got his positioning wrong, whether Blackburn made a mess with their marking, who knows, or cares? For Gillesphey it meant goals in consecutive games, the previous one being at Wembley. He also became the first player to score for us this season who wasn’t a new signing.

The rest of the first half saw half-chances at both ends. Coventry turned well on the byline to get in a low cross, then Campbell worked the ball to Kelman, who played it back to him to run in on goal. There was some hesitation as the keeper came out to narrow the angle and TC ended up going over him but with no real suggestion of a penalty. Jones managed to pick up a yellow for next to nothing, which was followed shortly by a rash Blackburn challenge on Docherty which produced no card. Blackburn did have moments, with Carey having to put in some great defensive work to keep them out, then Jones fouling their guy on the edge of the area. The free-kick was clearly in a dangerous position, but fortunately their guy blasted it well over the bar.

At the break the stats showed even possession and seven shots from us, three on target, against five and one for them. But I think everyone watching would have acknowledged that we had got on top as the half progressed and that Blackburn would have to raise their game to get back into it.

In that they failed as the second half became a tale of Charlton missed chances. Shortly after the restart Campbell cut inside. His shot was poor but it rebounded to Docherty, whose shot was saved. Blackburn did have a shout for a penalty when a cross seemed to hit Jones’ arm. It would have been a very harsh one but you have seen them given (and if it had been perhaps it would have been a second yellow and a red). But that was the exception to the rule.

On 56 minutes after another interception Bell fed Campbell, but his poor shot went over the bar. And a minute later Campbell was involved again, cutting across the box and curling a shot only inches wide of the far post. That was to be his last involvement as on 58 minutes Leaburn and Olaofe came on for him and Kelman. On 60 minutes Leaburn fed Olaofe and he almost managed to squeeze it through to Docherty in a good position. Then after picking up a yellow for a late challenge (following Bree also in the book) Carey got free inside the box on the right side but his low ball into the mix found nobody.

On 69 minutes we really should have extended our lead. Leaburn set up Carey, whose good shot was parried into the path of Burke, with something of an open goal in front of him. He failed to control the effort and put it over the bar. By now the doubts were rising, would we end up getting punished for not getting a second? But such concerns were buried on 77 minutes as Docherty played the ball forward to Olaofe, who held it up superbly then laid it off inside to Carey. He was still a fair way out but wasn’t closed down and had the time to line up his shot. He hit it powerfully inside the near post, the Blackburn keeper perhaps here too a little at fault for not getting to it.

That wasn’t entirely game over, but it felt like finally just rewards for our display. Blackburn did have a couple of shots, one deflected wide for a corner and the other sent only just over the bar after a good attack, but they were not to get back into it. Jones the Boss was even able to withdraw Jones the Player on 82 minutes, along with Carey, Ramsay and Knibbs coming on. By now Blackburn’s frustration was threatening to boil over, especially with the ref giving all sorts of odd decisions. On 90 minutes Bell got involved in a bit of handbags and got a yellow, along with the Blackburn guy and on 93 we added some gloss to the scoreline as good initial work by Docherty was followed by more from Olaofe, who played in back to Docherty. He pulled it back across goal to find Bree, who side-footed it home as the defender seemed to leave it for the keeper, who was in turn confused.

It was a performance with absolutely nothing to complain about. We defended once again superbly, despite losing Edwards, with Gillesphey and then Ramsay fitting in very well, while Burke and Bell both had good games. In central midfield Docherty and Coventry were outstanding (I’d give MoM to the latter). I think many felt this was an area of the pitch we would struggle in, but both are playing out of their skins at the moment. And although none of the forwards found the net, Carey showed he can make the kind of goals contribution that Berry managed last year, with Knibbs a very capable replacement. And there’s still Apter, player of the month but now having to wait for his chance.

The only concern Jones must be having at the moment is whether some of the players will be able to continue with this commitment and intensity for three games in seven days. We will find out, but from what we’ve seen if some fresh legs are needed we have the replacements to hand. It’s a very good feeling tonight.  

 

Fair Reward This Time Around

There are some games ahead of which it might be said that league positions mean nothing. This was for sure going to be one of them. When you take on the side bottom of the league with no points and five straight defeats, just one scored and 12 conceded, you would normally be licking your lips. But when that team happens to have been within 15 or so minutes of the Premiership last season and has just brought back their iconic manager, playing in front of their own fans, it really is a different ball game. And with the season at this early stage one or two results can truly alter the picture: win and we’ve started with 2,2&2, perfectly acceptable; don’t win and all the focus is on not having won since the first game of the season.

Like others I’m sure before the game I felt this would be one it would be easy to lose in the first 20 minutes – and that therefore we needed to be on it from the first whistle. Was hoping that a more defensive line-up wouldn’t mean we retreated into a shell early on and invite them onto us, fears echoed by Steve Brown in the commentary box. But it really didn’t pan out that way. Sheffield United looked a pale shadow of the team last season, inventive in midfield but quite blunt up top and wobbly at the back. They didn’t show the intensity and determination we expected. Instead in another game of very few chances it all boiled down to whether one side or the other might nick one and take the points. And it proved to be us.

The team saw two changes from the Millwall game, one enforced of course by Ramsay’s suspension. Burke came in for him, while Bree was preferred to start instead of Apter as the right-side wing-back. Presumably that was just to tighten up in the early stages with a view to bringing on Apter later in the game against tiring defenders. On the bench Anderson was back after having served his suspension.

Rather than being on the back foot we had the better of the first period, containing them well enough in our final third and looking dangerous on the break. An interception poked on for Kelman to run on goal in the first minute set the tone, but he had a long way to go and no support, ended with a shot wide. He was almost in again on 10 minutes but couldn’t control a difficult ball, then it was Campbell’s turn to run on goal on the right side on a break, but he too shot wide. They were openings but not really good chances, the next one coming on 29 minutes when Campbell cut into the area and saw his shot blocked.

However, Sheffield did begin to dominate possession and had their best spell, finally giving their crowd something to get behind. The closest they came was a set-piece move with a corner played short and then squared for their midfielder to run onto it and hit a curling shot with his right. It went just over the bar after a slight deflection; just under and there was nothing Kaminski could have done about it.

Fortunately we saw out that period and before the end of the first half had by far the best chance to open the scoring. A corner was knocked out but then played back in and Jones rose unchallenged to head back to inside the near post. It looked a certain goal until their keeper stuck out a left hand and kept it out.

At the break the stats showed they had enjoyed 62% possession but with six shots and just one on target, against eight and one for us. It was clearly still anyone’s game, but you expected Sheffield to come at us with greater urgency in the second half. That too didn’t really happen.

Sheffield did have what proved to be their best chance of the game early in the second half as we made a sloppy start. A low cross from their left was intercepted but the ball only made it to the edge of the box where their guy got to it first. He had clear sight of goal but his shot was superbly blocked by Edwards and another guy hit the rebound well over the bar. We breathed again.

We were struggling to get anything going when in possession and it wasn’t surprising that Jones the Boss made an early change, bringing on Leaburn for Kelman on 61 minutes. Kelman hadn’t played badly but we were tending to go long and he had a thankless task again competing against two centre-backs, with Campbell less influential after the break.

We had another scare on 50 minutes as Bell, already on a yellow (after a foul on him was not given he’d stopped a quick throw being taken), slid in and their guy nicked it past him and took the contact. Unlike last Saturday the ref took a lenient approach and let it all go with a word and a free kick. But you had the impression that if their guy had gone to ground and rolled over a few times a second yellow would have been given. It was a close call and Bell was now on a knife-edge, with Jones the Boss surely contemplating taking him off for Gillesphey. He didn’t and Bell did manage to see out the game without further alarm.

Going into the final 20 minutes or so the game had become very scrappy. We worked manfully out of possession and kept them closed down, but you couldn’t see where a goal for us might come from. On 78 minutes Knibbs and Olaofe were introduced for Carey and Campbell, with Jones not yet at least opting to bring on Apter for Bree to increase our attacking threat.

And as the clock ran down we did have some half-chances. A Bree cross from the right found Docherty making a run into the box and his decent header went over the bar. Coventry pressed well and won the ball back for Leaburn to run on goal, his shot was fierce but close to the keeper and saved. Then, on 89 minutes, we finally made one stick. Kaminski sent it forward and Leaburn did well to turn it on, then Knibbs directed a header well to Bree on the right side. His first touch was excellent and wrongfooted their defender, moving the ball inside. He then played the ball across goal to find Olaofe. He struck it well and it was in the net.

We saw out the four minutes of stoppage time with no alarms. Would you say we deserved to win? If either of the two sides was going to win we deserved it, although through the second half the odds on a 0-0 were shortening rapidly. The final stats showed 63% possession for them, 13 shots, just that one on target (their two real chances were the one curled over and the shot blocked), against 13 for us too but four on target - including the one that mattered. We had again defended heroically, everyone worked their socks off.

Anyway, who cares? The win and three points does ease any pressure that might have been building. And if we were a shade fortunate we’ve been on the wrong side of fortune in other games. The table looks a good deal better now and we are back above Millwall, so something in this world is back to normal.

So Close, But No Cognac (This Time)

Can’t really say we’d been waiting for this one for years as it would have been far preferable for us to get back to the Championship and find that Millwall had gone down to replace us. But that aside, this was obviously a big one, for us especially. In prosaic terms a win and we would be left with two wins, a draw and two defeats from the first five games, an entirely acceptable return given the tough fixtures; obviously lose or draw and the picture would be different. Most of all, however, we simply craved a win, in whatever fashion, to end a very unwanted series and to start to reverse a truly dire record against them.

And we came close, so very close. We led from the 40th minute to the 86th and until Ramsay’s sending off on 74 minutes had looked likely to be able to see out the game, perhaps nick a second. That said we were already tiring and Millwall would have thrown everything at us in any event and always carried a threat with their height advantage. So nobody should be laying the blame on Ramsay, but no doubt his dismissal changed the nature of the contest. Although we were deservedly ahead and, despite having less possession than them had clearly the better of things in a game of very few actual chances, you have to admit that if the game had gone on another 10 minutes we would probably have lost it. So we can claim the moral high ground (never difficult against them) but not all the points.

The team showed one change from QPR, with Kelman starting up front ahead of Leaburn, who moved to the bench. Presumably Jones the Boss was impressed with what he saw on the training ground and had a plan in mind, which was fair enough. The assumption was always that Leaburn would be introduced sooner or later (with obvious thoughts before the game of him coming on to score the winner, as his father had scored in our previous league win against them). On the bench he was joined by loan signing Bree, with Mwamba missing out (and with Anderson still serving his suspension).

Through the first half we looked the brighter of the sides with the greater threat, especially with Campbell lively and clearly having the beating of his marker for pace and with Apter promising on the other flank. Millwall understandably looked to exploit him defensively but only managed to get their bigger guy on that side past him once or twice.

What chances there were fell to us, especially in the build-up to the goal. On 35 minutes a Kelman cross was knocked out to Apter but his shot was blocked, then Apter worked a good position but put in a poor shot when there seemed to be other options. On 38 minutes Apter opted to cut inside, got a little lucky with the ball and avoided a challenge, and put in a shot. This one took a wicked deflection and looped up and over their keeper, not quite dipping in time to go into the next but hitting the crossbar.

No matter. From the resulting corner Coventry sent the ball in and their keeper punched it away but only to the edge of the area where Carey was positioned. He controlled it well with a first touch, then sent in a hard low shot. I’d guess more often than not it would have been blocked, but with a Charlton player in the mix letting it go it went through everyone and into the net. Cue pandemonium, at The Valley and various other places. As usual Steve Brown in the CATV commentary box (thanks to VPN - and no thanks to Sky - I actually got to watch this game) had called it right. He pointed out that high balls into their area we were always going to be second-favourite to win and that we needed to be alert to benefit from the second ball. Carey was.

We saw out the rest of the half with no alarms and although the stats at the break showed they had enjoyed 54% possession, the telling one was that they have no efforts on target (just before the break their centre-half might have done better with a header from a corner). All we had to do was repeat that in the second.

The second half continued in the same vein, the only difference was that the ref did start taking his card out of his pocket. On 53 minutes a Millwall player was given a yellow for taking out Campbell, then on 54 a Millwall guy on their left was brought down by a combination of Coventry and Ramsay. The ref decided the latter had got there first and he was given the yellow. Might have gone the other way, which would have been significant as it turned out. And on 63 minutes Jones went into the book for a late tackle.

In between, Jones the Boss made a couple of quite early changes with Leaburn replacing Kelman, who had a decent game and was instrumental in stretching them, and Bree on for Apter, presumably to tighten up defensively on our right side. And for a spell we threatened to get the second which surely would have been decisive. On 66 minutes Carey was played in on the left side in the penalty area and his shot-come-cross was palmed out by their keeper, but not into Leaburn’s path, then just after Leaburn had the ball inside their area with his back to goal but his shot on the turn was smothered.

After that Millwall did have a couple of shots blocked and our defending was starting to look a little desperate. And on 73 minutes the game turned. A ball forward down their left side and Ramsay put in an excellent challenge to dispossess their guy. Unfortunately the ball didn’t go out of play and that guy was the first to get up to collect it. He moved inside and Ramsay, perhaps still a little disorientated, put in a sliding tackle from the side. He didn’t get the ball and everyone watching, and Ramsay himself, knew what was coming next. Second yellow and off, with no cause for complaint (other than that the ref might have booked Coventry instead of Ramsay first time around).

Millwall’s play had been patient (but largely predictable) before and now with the extra man they were able to pin us back. We had around 20 minutes to hold out and we did for 14 of them. We even had a breakaway chance as Leaburn did well to hold the ball around the halfway line and poked it forward for Campbell to run through in the clear. On his own with defenders converging he had little option but to take on the shot from outside the box and sent it over the bar.

Millwall thought they had their equaliser on 81 minutes as their substitute hammered a loose ball into the net, but he had clearly used his hand to control it. But they did get it on 87 minutes, after Burke had replaced Campbell. They advanced again down their left and a ball inside picked out a guy with a well-timed run forward. His shot was saved by Kaminski but crucially this parry dropped to that same sub, who sent it back into the net.

With five minutes of stoppage time it added up to eight minutes to see out and we managed to do that to get at least something out of the game. Not the historic victory we hoped for and which had for so long been on the cards, but at least a point. We take it and move on.

I’d only add that I thought Jones the Boss might have used more substitutes to bring on fresh legs in the closing stages, most obviously Olaofe or Rankin-Costello. There were some very tired players out there in the final 20 minutes as once again each had given his all. And a rare one, to say that I thought the ref had a very good game. He made no obviously bad calls, was consistent in what he allowed (and he did let some go, including some challenges on Jones which should have been penalised) and did not allow, and seemed in control throughout. Just wish he’d booked Coventry instead of Ramsay.